Document Type : Research paper

Authors

Soil Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

The present study aimed to assess both soil and tea plant responses to acidification induced by aluminum (Al). In this way, the effects of four levels of soil acidification by aluminum sulfate were examined (A1=0, A2=500, A3=1000, A4=2000 mg kg-1 soil) on five promising tea genotypes (G1=100, G2=440, G3=444, G4=591 and G5=703). The genotypes were originally from Lahijan Tea Research Center and were tested on split plots in a randomized complete block design with three replications. A breakpoint of 250 mg kg-1 of exchangeable Al was identified as critical for the severe release of Al into the soil solution. Both soluble and exchangeable fractions of soil Al showed strong power regression relationships with soil pH measured in water as well as 1M KCl solution. The genotype with the highest yield (G3) experienced a significantly greater decline in fresh yield following treatments with Al, compared with the genotype having low yield (G4) (22% vs. 6%, on average). Acidification adversely affected all morphological parameters but no significant impacts were detected on selected biochemical parameters (i.e. caffeine, total polyphenols, and chlorophyll index). Leaf Al concentration, followed by shoot weight and leaf thickness showed significant relationships (p<0.01) with soluble and exchangeable fractions of Al in the soil. The highest and the lowest leaf Al concentrations were obtained in G4 (837 mg kg-1 DM, on average) and in G3 (623 mg kg-1 DM, on average), respectively. Based on all morphological traits, the most tolerant genotype to soil acidification was G4, which is a low-yield tea with a relatively high Al accumulation affinity.

Keywords

Al-Baquy MA, Li J-Y, Xu C-Y, Mehmood K, Xu R-K. 2017. Determination of critical pH and Al concentration of acidic Ultisols for wheat and canola crops. Solid Earth Discuss. 8(1), 149-159.
Becker B. 2007. Function and evolution of the vacuolar compartment in green algae and land plants (Viridiplantae). International Review of Cytology. 264, 1-24.
Bertsch PM, Bloom PR. 1996. “Aluminum”, in Methods of Soil Analysis, Eds. D.L.Sparks et al., Part 3: Chemical methods. Madison, Wisconsin, USA, 517-550.
Bouyoucos GJ.1962. Hydrometer method improved for making particle size analyses of soils. Agronomy Journal, 54(5), 464-465.
Carr H, Lombi E, Küpper H, Mcgrath S, Wong M. 2003. Accumulation and distribution of aluminium and other elements in tea (Camellia sinensis) leaves. Agronomie, 23, 705–710.
Chang, K. 2015. World tea production and trade: Current and future development. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome.
Dong D, Xie Z, Du Y. 2001. The bioavailability of Al in soils to tea plants. Applied Geochemistry, 16(11-12), 1413-1418.
Dong D, Xie Z, Du Y, Liu C, Wang S. 1999. Influence of soil pH on aluminum availability in the soil and aluminum in tea leaves. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 30(5-6), 873-883.
Erdemoǧlu SB, Pyrzyniska K, Güçer Ş. 2000. Speciation of aluminum in tea infusion by ion-exchange resins and flame AAS detection. Analytica Chimica Acta, 411(1-2), 81-89.
Fung KF, Carr HP, Poon BHT, Wong MH. 2009. A comparison of aluminum levels in tea products from Hong Kong markets and in varieties of tea plants from Hong Kong and India. Chemosphere, 75, 955-926.
Fung KF, Carr HP, Zhang J, Wong MH. 2008. Growth and nutrient uptake of tea under different aluminium concentrations. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 88(9), 1582-1591.
Fung KF, Wong MH. 2002. Effects of soil pH on the uptake of Al, F and other elements by tea plants. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 82(1), 146-152.
Grove JH, Fowler CS, Sumner ME. 1982. Determination of the charge character of selected acid soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 46(1), 32-38.
Hajiboland R, BahramiRad S, Barceló J, Poschenrieder C. 2013. Mechanisms of aluminum-induced growth stimulation in tea (Camellia sinensis). Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 176(4), 616-625.
Helmke PA, Sparks, DL. 1996. “Lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, and cesium”, in Methods of Soil Analysis, Eds. D.L.Sparks et al., Part 3: Chemical methods. Madison, Wisconsin, USA, 551-574.
Huang D, Gong Z, Chen X, Wang H, Tan R, Mao Y.2021. Transcriptomic responses to aluminum stress in tea plant leaves. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 5800.
Huang L, Yuan J, Wang H, Tan X, Niu G.2017. Aluminum stress affects growth and physiological characteristics in oil tea. HortScience, 52(11), 1601-1607.
IPGRI. 1997. Descriptors for Tea (Camellia Sinensis). International Plant Genetic Resources Institute.
ISO. 2005. “Determination of substances characteristic of
Shirinfekr, Oustan, Najafi and Reyhanitabar Int. J. Hort. Sci. Technol. 2022 9(4): 463-476
475
green and black tea-Part 1: Content of total polyphenols in tea-colorimetric method using Folin-Ciocalteu reagent”, in Technical committee, First edition, ISO 14502-1, International Organization for Standardization, 1-10.
Jackson ML, Huang PM. 1983. Aluminum of acid soils in the food chain and senility. Science of the Total Environment, 28(1-3), 269-276.
Kochian LV, Piñeros MA, Hoekenga OA. 2005. The Physiology, genetics and molecular biology of plant aluminum resistance and toxicity. Plant and Soil, 274(1-2), 175-195.
Kuo S. 1996. “Phosphorus”, in Methods of Soil Analysis, Eds. D.L. Sparks et al., Part 3: Chemical methods. Madison, Wisconsin, USA, 869-919.
Lakin AL. 1989. “Food analysis: Practical handout”, in Developments in Food Analysis Techniques, Ed. R. D. King, Developments in Food Analysis Techniques, Vol. 1, Applied Science Publishers, 43-74.
Liu ZA, Yang JP, Yang ZC. 2012. Using a chlorophyll meter to estimate tea leaf chlorophyll and nitrogen contents. Journal of Soil Science Plant Nutrition, 12(2), 339-348.
Manrique L. 1986. The relationship of soil pH to aluminum saturation and exchangeable aluminum in ultisols and oxisols. Communications in Soil Science Plant Analysis, 17(4), 439-455.
Marouani N, Chahed, A, Hédhili, A, Hamdaoui,MH. 2007. Both aluminum and polyphenols in green tea decoction (Camellia sinensis) affect iron status and hematological parameters in rats. European Journal of Nutrition, 46(8), 453-459.
Matsumoto H, Hirasawa E, Morimura S, Takahashi E. 1976. Localization of aluminium in tea leaves. Plant and Cell Physiology, 17(3), 627-631.
Meng H-Q, Xu M-G, LÜ J-l, He X-H, Li J-W, Shi X-J, Peng C, Wang B-R, Zhang H-M 2013. Soil pH dynamics and nitrogen transformations under long-term chemical fertilization in four typical Chinese croplands. Journal of Integrative Agriculture. 12(11), 2092-2102.
Mukhopadyay M, Bantawa P, Das A, Sarkar B, Bera B, Ghosh P, Mondal TK. 2012. Changes of growth, photosynthesis and alteration of leaf antioxidative defence system of tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] seedlings under aluminum stress. BioMetals, 25(6), 1141-1154.
Nelson DW, Sommers LE. 1982. “Total carbon, organic carbon, and organic matter”, in Methods of Soil Analysis, Ed. A. L. Page, Part 2: Chemical and microbiological properties, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, 539-579.
Roozitalab MH, Siadat H, Farshad A. 2018. The soils of Iran. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.
Ruan J, Ma L, Shi Y.2006. Aluminium in tea plantations: mobility in soils and plants, and the influence of nitrogen fertilization. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 28, 519-528.
Ruan J, Ma L, Shi Y, Han W. 2003. Uptake of fluoride by tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.) and the impact of aluminium. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 83(13), 1342-1348.
Ruan J, Ma L, Shi Y, Zhang F. 2004. Effects of litter incorporation and nitrogen fertilization on the contents of extractable aluminium in the rhizosphere soil of tea plant (Camallia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze). Plant and Soil, 263(1), 283-296.
Ruan J, Wong MH. 2001. Accumulation of fluoride and aluminium related to different varieties of tea plant. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 23(1), 53-63.
Sae-Lee N, Kerdchoechuen O, Laohakunjit N. 2012. Chemical qualities and phenolic compounds of Assam tea after soil drench application of selenium and aluminium. Plant and Soil, 356 (1-2), 381-393.
Shetty R, Vidya CS, Prakash NB, Alexander Lux A, Vaculík, M. 2021. Aluminum toxicity in plants and its possible mitigation in acid soils by biochar: A review. Science of The Total Environment, 765, 142744.
Shu WS, Zhang ZQ, Lan CY, Wong M H. 2003. Fluoride and aluminium concentrations of tea plants and tea products from Sichuan Province, PR China. Chemosphere, 52(9), 1475-1482.
Sivapalan P. 1988. Liming of tea fields. A critical need. Tea Bulletin, 8(1), 3-22.
Sivasubramaniam S, Talibudeen O. 1971. Effect of aluminium on growth of tea (Camellia sinensis) and its uptake of potassium and phosphorus. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 22(7), 325-329.
Souri MK, Rashidi M, Kianmehr MH. 2018. Effects of manure-based urea pellets on growth, yield, and nitrate content in coriander, garden cress, and parsley plants. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 41(11),1405-1413.
Souri MK, Tohidloo G. 2019. Effectiveness of different methods of salicylic acid application on growth characteristics of tomato seedlings under salinity. Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture, 6(1), 26.
Sparks DL. 2003. Environmental Soil Chemistry, 2nd edition. Academic Press. San Diego, USA.
Sumner ME, Noble AD. 2003. “Soil acidification: The world story”, in Handbook of Soil Acidity, Ed., Z. Rengel, CRC Press,1-28.
Sun L, Zhang M, Liu X, Mao Q, Shi C, Kochian LV, Liao H. 2020. Aluminium is essential for root growth and development of tea plants (Camellia sinensis). Molecular Physiology, 62(7), 984-997.
Terashima I, Hanba YT, Tholen D, Niinemets Ü. 2011. Leaf Functional Anatomy in Relation to Photosynthesis. Plant Physiology, 155(1), 108-116.
Thomas GW. 1996. “Soil pH and soil acidity”, in Methods of Soil Analysis, Ed. D. L. Sparks et al., Part 3: Chemical methods, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, 475-490.
Tsuji M. 2000. The Characteristics of leaf thickness of tea shoot in natural shape bush formation under the covering
Shirinfekr, Oustan, Najafi and Reyhanitabar Int. J. Hort. Sci. Technol. 2022 9(4): 463-476
476
culture. Chagyo Kenkyu Hokoku (Tea Research Journal), 2000(88), 39-44.
Walton JR. 2006. Aluminum in hippocampal neurons from humans with Alzheimer's disease. Neurotoxicology, 27(3), 385-394.
Wan Q, Xu R-K, Li X-H. 2012. Proton release from tea plant (Camellia sinensis L.) roots induced by Al(III) under hydroponic conditions. Soil Research, 50(6), 482-488.
Willson KC, Clifford MN. 1992. Tea: cultivation to consumption. Chapman & Hall.
Wong MH, Zhang Z, Wong J, Lan C. 1998. Trace metal contents (Al, Cu and Zn) of tea: tea and soil from two tea plantations, and tea products from different provinces of China. Environmental Geochemistry, 20(2), 87-94.
Xie Z-L, Dong D-M, Bao G-Z, Wang S-T, Du Y-G, Qiu L-M. 2001. Aluminum content of tea leaves and factors affecting the uptake of aluminum from soil into tea leaves. Chinese Geographical Science, 11(1), 87-91.
Xie Z, Chen Z, Sun W, Guo X, Yin B, Wang J. 2007. Distribution of aluminum and fluoride in tea plant and soil of tea garden in Central and Southwest China. Chinese Geographical Science, 17(4), 376-382.
Yadav S, Mohanpuria P.2009. Responses of Camellia sinensis cultivars to Cu and Al stress. Biologia Plantarum, 53(4), 737.
Yang M, Tan L, Xu Y, Zhao Y, Cheng F, Ye S, Jiang W. 2015. Effect of low pH and aluminum toxicity on the photosynthetic characteristics of different fast-growing eucalyptus vegetatively propagated clones. PLoS ONE,10(6), e0130963.
Yamashita H, Fukuda Y, Yonezawa S, Morita A, Ikka T. 2020.Tissue ionome response to rhizosphere pH and aluminum in tea plants (Camellia sinensis L.), a species adapted to acidic soils. Plant-Environment Interactions, 1 (2), 152-164.
Yokota H, Morita A, Ghanati F. 2005. Growth characteristics of tea plants and tea fields in Japan. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 51(5), 625-627.
Zhou J, Xia F, Liu X, He Y, Xu J, Brookes PC. 2014. Effects of nitrogen fertilizer on the acidification of two typical acid soils in South China. Journal of Soils and Sediments, 14(2), 415-422.